The Union of European Football Associations has suspended the winger of Lisbon's Benfica Gianluca Prestianni from the return match of the Champions League against Madrid's Real after a racist scandal involving Vinicius Junior. This is reported by Suspilne Sport.
The incident occurred during the first leg of the playoffs, in which Real defeated Benfica 1-0. The only goal in the match was scored by Vinicius Junior, who hit the upper corner from distance at the beginning of the second half.
Racist scandal involving Vinicius Junior leads to sanctions
After scoring, Gianluca Prestianni celebrated by turning to Vinicius Junior and covering his face with a T-shirt. The Brazilian accused the opponent of using racist language. As a result, the referee stopped the game for approximately 11 minutes.
In a statement, the Union of European Football Associations noted that the player will not participate in the replay. If found guilty, he faces a suspension of up to 10 matches.
The match Real vs Benfica will take place without Prestianni
The return match between Madrid's Real and Lisbon's Benfica is scheduled for Wednesday, February 25. The game will start at 22:00 Kyiv time.
Gianluca Prestianni has been playing for Benfica since 2024. In the 2025/26 season, he played 18 matches, scoring two goals and providing one assist.
Earlier, we reported the bookmakers' prediction for Real Madrid - Benfica.